Siemens Nets 100 MW Order For Wind Farm Down Under

Siemens has been contracted by Neoen Australia, a business of the French company Neoen, to supply, install and commission 32 wind turbines for the Hornsdale Stage 2 onshore wind farm in south Australia.

As reported, the project will be in addition to the Hornsdale Stage 1 wind farm project, for which Siemens signed a contract in August 2015.

According to Siemens, the direct-drive turbines, each with a capacity of 3.2 MW and a rotor diameter of 113 meters, will add 100 MW of capacity to the Hornsdale wind power plant near the south Australian town of Jamestown, approximately 200 kilometers north of Adelaide.

The new project will achieve a record-low price of approximately $57.92/MWh, the company says, which is enabled by good wind resources, synergies with the first stage of the Hornsdale wind farm, and optimal finance and equity structures.

Siemens says once Hornsdale Stage 2 is operational, it will contribute to the Australian Capital Territory’s 100% renewable energy goal, as the power generated will be sold to the government.

“With almost 40 percent of the country’s clean energy produced by wind farms, Australia’s renewable energy footprint is increasing in size and global relevance, making it a great place to invest and do business,” says Xavier Barbaro, Neoen’s global CEO.

Installation of the turbines is scheduled to begin in December, with the start of operations expected by June 2017. Siemens says it will be responsible for service and maintenance of the turbines within a long-term service agreement.